The present invention relates generally to work stands and, more particularly, to a vice stand assembly which is adjustably and removably mountable on the rear end portion of a motor vehicle such as a pickup truck.
During construction and maintenance operations, it is often necessary for a worker to securely hold a work piece in a fixed position in order to perform a particular work activity, e.g. soldering, welding, drilling, bending, etc. A table mounted vice is usually provided for this purpose when the work is performed in an indoor maintenance area. However, in many new construction and field maintenance operations, no such fixtures are provided, thus requiring a worker to provide his own portable-type vice assembly. Although it is possible to simply construct a work bench and mount a table vice on it at the work site, such an operation is very time consuming and requires the use of constructior materials which may or may not be present at a work site. In addition, the work site may consist only of uneven or muddy ground which may not be suited for supporting a conventional table and vice. In order to overcome such problems, vices are sometimes mounted on the side wall of a pickup bed through the use of a strap assembly. A problem with such a mounting configuration is that the strap assembly must have laterally outwardly projecting bracket portions for supporting the vice. Such outwardly extending bracket portions may form a hazard when the vice is not in use unless the bracket is removed. On the other hand, if the bracket assemblies or the mounting straps are removed after each use of the device, the vice mounting procedure is extremely time consuming. The straps and brackets also tend to scratch or damage the side walls of the pickup. Another. problem inherent with such a mounting assembly relates to its position with respect to the tailgate of the pickup. A. tailgate when folded down into a horizontal position, is often used to provide a flat work surface on which various working operations may be performed and on which tools may be supported. When a vice is mounted on the side wall of the truck a worker using the vice is often required to move back and forth from the side of the truck to the rear of the truck as he works. It would be generally desirable to provide a vice assembly for motor vehicles which overcomes these problems.